Do millennials really have it tough?

It’s so easy to make fun of millennials, right? Oh, they’re so lazy! They’re spoiled! They have it so much easier than we did when we were their age!

So, what’s the story? Do millennials truly have it harder than previous generations did?

At least one millennial thinks so. In a recent interview on NPR, Michael Hobbes, a writer, editor and producer, made the case why things aren’t so rosy for his generation.

Hobbes cited the spiraling costs of health care, housing and education that affect his generation.

He drew attention to stagnating wages, the rise of lower-quality contracting work that has replaced jobs with real benefits, the expensive real estate and cost of living required to live in the highest growth cities like San Francisco, Seattle and New York, and the right-leaning attitude toward more personal responsibility that has shifted significantly over the past two decades.

In addition, Motley Fool points out that millennials are delaying life events such as marriage and home ownership because of money uncertainty. When adjusting for inflation, the average worker in the 24-36 age group earns $10,000 less than their parents’ generation did at the same age, which is roughly 20 percent less purchasing power.

Many younger workers (66 percent) are contributing to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, but at lower rates than older generations, and that’s largely because of limited earnings and student debt, Motley Fool reports.

The average student debt for a millennial is double that of the previous generation, Motley Fool notes. And, according to a T. Rowe Price study, nearly half of millennials expect to work at least part-time in retirement.

It’s not all bad, however. Hobbes said he appreciates the high level of social services, health care and education that can be found in many parts of the country, particularly big cities.

Depending on one’s race, some millennials are much better off than others. For example, if you’re a white American, he noted, you’re five times more likely to receive an inheritance than millennials of color, a statistic that resonates when you consider that about 45 percent of millennials are non-white.

“I think there’s a lot of anger from a lot of these people, especially who graduated during the recession,” Hobbes said in the NPR interview. “We talk a little bit about something like universal benefits or these kind of new forms of welfare. And we need to put these things in place. It’s not impossible. Most other countries have this.”

There are a lot of challenges facing the millennial generation, but there’s also a bigger problem that Hobbes doesn’t mention: a lack of empathy from the generations that preceded his.

Gen Xers grew up in a different time, with different problems. They dealt with the “me generation” of parents, the AIDS crisis, the lasting effects of the Vietnam War, the energy crisis, rising inflation and several recessions.

The generation before that lived through the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, race riots and assassinations of its leaders. Going back farther, others endured the Great Depression and two devastating world wars.

Many of these people, seeing their own struggles as exceedingly trying, have little empathy for the challenges that millennials face.

So do millennials have it hard? Yes, but the question is irrelevant for the most part. Every generation has it rough, even as the challenges change over the years.

The average age of small business owners in the U.S. is 52, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the millennial generation now makes up the largest chunk of the U.S. workforce. Chances are if you own a business, you will need to hire millennials.

As an employer, an owner and/or a manager, you must accept that every generation has its challenges and these obstacles are important to those living through them. You shouldn’t judge or make comparisons.

Making generalizations about these workers is foolish. These are your current and prospective employees (and customers). These are the people that represent your greatest asset and your biggest opportunities for growth.

So when a millennial like Michael Hobbes says that his generation has it rough, don’t roll your eyes or laugh it off. Realize that, for them, it is difficult.

You should help them and meet their needs so they feel like productive and motivated employees.

It’s those leaders who realize this important fact and change themselves and their companies who will attract the best people and find success in the years to come.

Gene Marks is a columnist, author and small business owner. He oversees the Marks Group, a 10-person technology consultancy to small and medium-size businesses.